Image credit: Frictional Games/Kepler Interactive
I don’t always expect Gamescom to be overflowing with horror games. Usually, it skews more towards action games, RPGs, and live service games, with a few other niches thrown in for good measure. Horror makes an appearance, sure, but not usually to a large extent. This changed with Gamescom Opening Night Live 2026, though.
Some of the horror games shown off in Gamescom Opening Night Live look like they could be some of the biggest releases this year, both in terms of quality and scale. Here’s a round-up of the best horror games from Gamescom ONL 2026.
Gamescom Opening Night Live had plenty of horror gems
Notable announcements, reveal trailers, and teasers for all sorts of genres were strewn throughout the Gamescom Opening Night Live, ranging from legendary RPG expansions to, unsurprisingly, first-person shooters.
Horror got a fantastic look-in, though, with both survival horror and action horror splattering onto the screen. One of the main titles that stood out as a horror geek was ONTOS – the spiritual successor to SOMA from Frictional Games and Kepler Interactive.
SOMA is a legendary game in the horror world, thanks to its disgustingly oppressive atmosphere and immaculate story. Based on what’s been shown about ONTOS so far, it looks like a suitable follow-up, with a mind-bending story, stunning setpieces, and a tension-laced style of play.
ONTOS takes place in a repurposed moon hotel, called Samsara, focusing heavily on disturbing and mysterious experiments.
Placing the player in the role of a character named Aditi Amani, the game pushes the matter of science versus morality; what it means to narrowly focus on ambition and progress without considering the impact on one’s humanity and concept of self.
Frictional Games is spectacular at crafting stories that make players doubt themselves and feel uneasy while playing. SOMA did this masterfully, and I’m confident that ONTOS is going to do the same without breaking a sweat.
Swapping sub-genres somewhat, action horror fans were treated to a glimpse of DUST: Origins, which is an upcoming isometric action-horror game from the team at Airship Syndicate; said team worked on games like Wayfinder, Darksiders Genesis, and Ruined King: A League of Legends Story.
DUST: Origins takes place in a “doomed orbital prison” and focuses on the player abruptly snapping out of cryo-imprisonment, being tasked with slaughtering their way out to freedom. The Steam page notes that “actions have consequences”, which makes me wonder how the larger narrative may unfold.
With the promise of multiple endings and outcomes, along with ammo scarcity and the need for strategy during bloody combat, DUST: Origins seems like it’ll mesh well with fans of classic survival horror and action horror series, like Resident Evil.
Some iconic names made an appearance
I’m prone to screams of jubilation and fearful shaking whenever Silent Hill is mentioned in conversation, so getting to see a further glimpse of the upcoming Silent Hill: Townfall was an absolute fever dream.
Developed by Screen Burn and published by both KONAMI and Annapurna Interactive, Townfall is a self-contained entry in the Silent Hill world. Taking place in the fictional town of St. Amelia in Scotland, this title looks maddeningly tense, with a blend of emotional story beats, stealth gameplay, and puzzles.
While I know some fans of the series will grumble that it’s not really a Silent Hill game – just how they did for Silent Hill f – I think Townfall exudes the slow-burning dread, morose motifs, and awful setpieces that the series is known for. As an aside, I think complaining that Silent Hill games “aren’t in the town” misses the point of the franchise.
Silent Hill: Townfall is due to come out on September 24, 2026, meaning there’s not long to wait until the fog rolls in once again. It’s looking like it’ll be just as atmospheric and anxiety-inducing as the previous game, and it should be particularly interesting for folks who’ve spent time in Scotland as well.
Following the trend of iconic names getting a look in, Pony Island 2: Panda Circus is another horror gem that stood out during Gamescom Opening Night Live.
Developed and published by Daniel Mullins Games as a follow-up to the utterly bizarre original from 2016, Pony Island 2 looks just as intriguing as its predecessor, with a unique art style, brain-warping premise, and promising variety of puzzles.
The Steam page provides a nice and simple description of what to expect; a “phantasmagorical voyage through time, myth, divinity, and video games.” Alright, sure, sounds groovy.
Placing you in the shoes of a young character who ended up passing on early and falling into the underworld, Pony Island 2 focuses on escaping the afterlife and defeating the deities that watch over it. Once again, Pony Island 2: Panda Circus is most certainly not a game about ponies. Or pandas, for that matter.
2026 has already been a fantastic year for horror, whether you’re looking at sci-horror, psychological, or creepy-crawly mascots. It’s not showing any signs of slowing down soon in terms of releases, either, both with triple-A releases and indie gems.
FAQs
As per the Steam page, ONTOS is due to come out in 2027. A full release date has not been confirmed yet.
ONTOS is a sci-fi horror game with a rich narrative and puzzles.
Silent Hill: Townfall is slated to come out on September 24, 2026.
Silent Hill: Townfall will be available on PC and PlayStation 5. At the time of writing, it does not seem like Silent Hill: Townfall will be available on other platforms, like Nintendo Switch or Xbox Series X/S.
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